It has been 27 years since Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins has performed his classic songs, and as a huge fan of Thompson Twins, I am still in disbelief (and gratitude) that I can finally say that I’ve seen Tom Bailey perform! Headlining the Retro Futura Tour, which included sets from 1980s music titans Katrina and the Waves, China Crisis, Midge Ure and Howard Jones, Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins paid that long awaited visit to the New York stage at Best Buy Theater on August 21, 2014. Looking and sounding great, Tom played for about an hour and we were treated to the first live performances of nine classic Thompson Twins songs in almost three decades! It was worth the wait as Tom played “Lies,” “Hold Me Now,” “You Take Me Up,” “Doctor! Doctor” “”King For A Day” (in a new, slower arrangement), “Love on Your Side,” “Sister of Mercy,” “If You Were Here” and the hit that started it all, “In The Name Of Love,” which you are about to see a video of. The intro, if you will, was an instrumental snatch from another classic, “We Are Detective,” and the show certainly whet our appetites for more live appearances from Tom Bailey as there was not time to hear classic songs such as “The Gap,” “Nothing In Common,” “Don’t Mess With Doctor Dream,” “Get That Love,” “Watching,” “Lay Your Hands on Me,” or anything from the two under-rated 1990s Thompson Twins albums “Big Trash” and “Queer.” I met Tom and I asked if he was going to be coming back and he said he was uncertain, so please make sure you support this tour so we don’t have to wait another 27 years to see Tom Bailey perform!

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey According2g.com readers! I know it’s been a minute since we’ve seen each other. I’ve been exploring other projects and I’ll be sharing the details of my latest book (or how I spent my summer break) very soon, so please stay tuned. But let’s get back to the matter at hand which was the Retro Futura Tour, which made a stop in New York on August 21, 2014 at the Best Buy Theater. We were treated to sets by 1980s music titans Katrina and the Waves, China Crisis and Midge Ure before Howard Jones (and Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins – more on Tom coming soon) took the stage. Decked out in a fabulous orange suit, Howard played a bunch of his hits including “Everlasting Love,” “What Is Love?” “Like To Get To Know You Well,” “The Prisoner,” “New Song,” “Things Can Only Get Better” (and after he played the version we all know and love from the 80s, he played a dance version of it, which was thumpin!) as well as the video you are about to see “No One Is To Blame.” The set showed that Howard has so many other great songs that there was not time to play (read: come back soon Howard!) including “Look Mama,” “Life in One Day,” “You Know I Love You… Don’t You” and more recent songs such as “Tomorrow Is Now” and “Let The People Have Their Say.” If you get the chance to see the Retro Futura Tour, I recommend it as you’ll have many flashbacks to our beloved 80s and you’ll see how great these bands and their music have aged.

If you are a fan of Jeff Koons (and perhaps even if you are not a fan), you should really head over to the Whitney Museum in New York to check out their retrospective on the man who is one of the world’s most famous and also richest artists.

Gazing Ball

The comprehensive exhibit covers Koons’ earliest work up through present day with his Gazing Ball series.

Made In Heaven

The infamous X-rated “Made In Heaven” series, where Jeff Koons became a temporary porn star with his then wife Ciccolina, are also on display, and you get to see another side of Koons (pun intended), an artist who was not afraid to get naked for his art.

Equilibrium Series

The exhibit is organized by the various stages of Koons’ career and when you see the diversity and vast body of work, I think it might even change the opinion of the haters. Well, if you’re not a fan and you see the exhibit, tell us what you thought in the comments section.

Celebration series

As a person who likes to take my own photos for usage on this blog, I was thrilled that the Whitney loosened their no photos policy for this show, the last exhibit at their uptown Manhattan location before it moves down to Chelsea in 2015.

Popeye

This show will be traveling to Paris in 2014 and Spain in 2015 and I hope there will be some sort of documentary on how this priceless art is transported and hung. Though it may not be obvious from the photos, in real life, many of these works are absolutely gigantic.

Easyfun-Ethereal series

Personally, I love Jeff Koons’ work and to see so many familiar artworks as well as so many I’ve never gotten to see in person was really an incredible experience for me.

Hulk

And now, enjoy a few more pictures (which are only a tiny fraction of the over 150 works on display at the Whitney).

The New series

Celebration series

Inflatables series

Pre-New series

Split-Rocker

Luxury and Degradation

After the jump, see a few images that are not safe for closed minded people (NSFCMP).

If you choose not to go on, know that the Koons Retrospective is on display through October 19, 2014 at the Whitney Musuem, located at 945 Madison Avenue and 75th Street. Don’t miss it!Read more of this article »

If you are a fan of Roy Lichtenstein’s work, you will definitely want to head over to Flag Art Foundation in New York and check out their exhibit of his work entitled “Intimate Sculptures.”

Roy Lichtenstein – Intimate Sculptures

The exhibit is laid out as if you were in someone’s living room and Lichtenstein’s sculptures decorate the area. It indeed feels intimate and you may find yourself wanting to be a squatter in this living space.

Even if you don’t like his art (but as you can see above and below, it’s awesome!), you will surely agree that Jerry Kearns’ latest exhibit “RRRGGHH!!!” will be the best name for an exhibit that takes place in 2014. The show is a combination of paintings and murals featuring comic book like narratives of good versus evil that feature characters from cowboys to Jesus Christ. Jinkies!!!! You must see this show!